Electric switch



PATENTED FEB. 16, 1904.

C. C. BADEAU.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12. 1903.

NO MODEL.

8 INVENTOR L! :21.

WITNESSES: WW

UNITED STATES Patented February 16, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 752,192, dated February 16, 1904.

Application filed August 12, 1903. Serial No. 169,274. (No model.)

To aZl whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES (J. BADEAU, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sw1ssvale, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which improvements the following is a specification.

The invention described herein has for its object certain improvements in that class or kind of safety or overload switches in which the rupture of the circuit is effected in a body of fluid non-conducting material, as oil;

The invention is hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved switch mechanism. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view, one of the armatures being broken away. Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation on a plane indicated by the line IV IV, Fig. 1. Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views of the springmotor.

In the practice of my invention the oil-chamber 1 is provided on its under side with an annular recess 2 for the reception of the coil 8 of an electromagnet,which has its poles formed by the periphery of the recess and the central stud 4:. As shown in Fig. 2, this central stud is slotted to permit of the insertion of the inner end of the coil, which is wrapped around the socket 5, held in place in the stud by the threaded sleeve 6 screwing into the stud. The outer end of the coil is secured to a pin 7, which is electrically connected to a suitable terminal 8. The socket 5 is adapted to receive and form electrical contact with the lower end of the rod 9, which projects through the top of the oil-chamber. The rod is adapted to be shifted from and into engagement with the socket by suitable mechanism and is held in engagement with the socket by a suitable lock controlled by the armature of the electromagnet, consisting of the base of the oil-chamber and the coil 3. The means employed for shifting the rod from contact with the socket opcrates automatically on the release of the look. A convenient construction to this end consists in the employment of a pinion 10, secured on formed on or secured to a sleeve 16, surrounding the shaft 11, which is rotatable independent of the shaft. A spring 17 is arranged within the drum and has one end secured to the drum and the opposite end to the shaft. The drum and sleeve are provided with fingers 18 and 19, respectively, the finger 18 being adapted to engage the dog 14, which is preferably mounted on the disk 12 on the shaft. The finger 19 bears when the switch is in nor mal or closed position and the spring under tension against a stop 21 on the frame of the machine. The spring is so wound and the parts so arranged that when the dog is shifted from engagement with the finger 18 the shaft will be rotated in such direction as to raise the rod from engagement with the socket 5.

hen the switch is in normal or closed position, the tripping-finger 15 of the dog 14: will be in front of one arm of the bell-crank lever 22, the other arm being connected by a rod 23 to another similar lever 2 1. The lever 24: is connected to rod 25, which is adapted to be shifted by the armature 26 of the controllingelectromagnet.

As it is generally preferred to employ two or more safetyswitches, one in each branch or leg of the circuit, although only one may be used, provision is made for the operation of the switch mechanism by any one of the controlling-magnets. To this end arms 27 are secured to the armatures 26 and eyes formed in said arms for the passage of the rod 25, which is provided with shoulders or enlargements 28, arranged to be struck on the movement of the armatures, and thereby shift the rod and parts connected thereto.

The coil of the electromagnet is so constructed that under normal conditions of current the armature will not be attracted, but will be shifted when the current is increased abnormally.

On the movement of the armature the dog 14 will be shifted, thereby permitting the shaft to be rotated by the spring, with the consequent rupture of the circuit by the raising of the rod 9 from the socket.

It will be observed that the oil-chamber 1 and the cap-piece 28 are provided with arms 29, extending laterally therefrom and having their outer ends secured to the carrying-plates 30. Asboth the oil-chamber and the cap-piece are in contact with portions of the circuit, it is necessary that no electrical connection should be formed between the two parts. To this end blocks 31 of insulating material are arranged on the ends of the arms and secured within suitable openings in the carryingplates. These carrying-plates are provided with tubular portions for the reception of the supporting bars or rods 32.

The upper end of the oil-chamber is left open and wire-gauze or other suitable foraminous material is arranged in the space around the non-eonducting tube 33, which extends down from the cap-piece into the oil-chamber and forms an enlargement or prolongation of the oil-chamber. Under the term foraminous material as used herein is included any form or kind of material adapted to permit a free passage of gases, while preventing the passage of the oil to any material or detrimental eX tent and only in a finely-divided condition. The space filled with the gauze will permit of free passages of gases generated in the chamber on the interruption of a circuit, but will prevent any material loss of oil.

It is characteristic of my improvement that the two parts of the switch, each carrying one of the contacts, are secured to and held in proper relation to each other by the carryingplates which rest on the supporting-rods.

I claim herein as my invention- 1. A switch having in combination an oilchamber, two contacts arranged in said chamber, means for shifting one of said contacts away from the other, an electromagnet forming the base of the oil-chamber and an armature controlling the movement of the contact, substantially as set forth.

2. A switch having in combination an oilchamber, two contacts arranged in said chamber, an electromagnet forming the base of the oil-chamber and having one terminal of its coil connected to one of the contacts, an armature for said magnet and automatic means for shifting one of the contacts and controlled by the armature, substantially as set forth.

3. A switch having in combination an oil chamber provided in its base with an annular recess, a coil arranged in said recess, the ends of the walls of said recess for the poles of an electromagnet, a control contact-socket connected toone end of the coil, a contact-rod, a motor for shifting said rod and an armature controlling said motor, substantially as set forth.

L. A switch having in combination an oil chamber, two contacts arranged in said chamber, an electromagnet forming the base of the chamber and having one end of its coil connected to one of'the contacts, a spring-motor having a normal bias to shift one contact away from the other, a lock holding the motor as against movement, and. an armature controlling the said lock, substantially as set forth.

5. A switch having in combination an oilehamber, an electromagnet forming the base of the oil-chamber, a central contact-socket connected to one end of the coil of the electromagnet, a rod provided with teeth and adapted to contact with the socket, a pinion engaging the teeth of the rod, a spring-motor rotating said pinion and having a normal bias to raise the rod, a lock for holding the motor against movement and an armature controlling said lock, substantially as set forth.

\ 6. A switch having in combination. a series of two or more oil-chamlmrs, electromagnets forming the bases of said chambers, two contacts arranged within said chambers, one contact in each chamber being connected to one end of the coils of the electromagnets, automatic means for shifting the other contacts, a lock for preventing the movement of the contacts, and armatures independently controlling said lock, substantially as set forth.

'7. A switch having in combination an oilchamber, electromagnet forming the base of the oil-cl'iamber, a central contact-socket connected to one end of the coil of the electromagnet a contact-rod provided with teeth, a top plate forming a guide for said rod, arms projecting from the oil-chamber and. top plate and connected to the supporting-slides but insulated therefrom, an insulating-tube extending down from the top plate into the oil-chamber and surrounding the contact-rod, substantially as set forth.

8. A switch having in combination an oilchamber, a contact carried by said chamber, a cap-piece, a contact-rod carried by said cappiece, arms projecting from the oil-chamber and cap-piece and carrying-plates secured to said arms but insulated therefrom, substantially as set forth.

9. A switch having in combination an opentopped oil-chamber, contacts arranged in said chamber, and a foraminous material arranged in said chamber above the level of the oil, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES C. BADEA U.

Vitnesses:

F. E. Gmrrnmz, FRED Krnen'nnn. 

